Chapter 154: Farewell, Ye Shihan

"My Lord, what do you think we should do about this matter?" Seeing that there were no outsiders left in the grand hall, Jiang Chao quickly offered a seat while asking Nanke.

"It seems my assumption was correct. This Xiao Yu is likely deeply connected to the matter I descended to investigate. There is no need for us to act rashly regarding this anymore. With two individuals from the Heavenly Realm stepping in to block us, I am simply no match for them on my own." Nanke muttered after a brief moment of contemplation.

"Does that mean the humiliation our Law Enforcement Hall suffered today will just be let go?" Jiang Chao asked cautiously.

"You can no longer touch Xiao Yu, but his family, the sects of those two martial artists, and factions like the Xuanyuan family can certainly be suppressed using the majesty of the Law Enforcement Hall. We must make them understand that within this stellar region, the Law Enforcement Hall remains the supreme existence!" Nanke said coldly.

"Understood!" Jiang Chao replied hastily upon hearing this.

Nanke nodded, then waved his hand toward the space in front of him. A powerful surge of spiritual energy instantly condensed within the spacious hall, finally forming a mirror-like screen of light. Within the screen, two aged figures stood suspended in the air, both deep in meditation.

Perhaps sensing that someone was peeking, the two men suddenly opened their eyes at the exact same time. Four tangible rays of power instantly shot forth from their eyes, their gazes fixed tightly on the space ahead.

Through the light screen, the two elders seemed to recognize who was watching them. Their figures quickly descended to the ground, and they bowed respectfully toward the screen, shouting, "Greetings, Emissary Lord!"

"Mm. Have the two of you shown any signs of breaking through to the True Immortal realm?"

Inside the Law Enforcement Hall, Nanke looked at the two men on the screen and asked indifferently.

"Replying to the Emissary Lord, both of us have already touched the barrier of the True Immortal realm. At most, in half a month, we will break through and step into the realm of True Immortals." One of the elders cupped his fists, his face filled with extreme excitement, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke.

These two were none other than the remaining two of the three main hall masters of the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Very well. The two of you should break through to the True Immortal realm as soon as possible. Upon returning to the Law Enforcement Hall, we have important matters to discuss. Continue your cultivation."

"Understood!"

After the two hall masters bowed in response, Nanke waved his hand once more, and the light screen in the hall instantly vanished.

In Yanjing, within the Martial Dao Alliance.

After three days of long travel, Xiao Yu and the others finally arrived at the Martial Dao Alliance. Upon arrival, Gu Jian and Lu Yining also regained consciousness. However, due to the depletion of their vital essence, both of them looked extremely exhausted. Consequently, they remained in their respective rooms to cultivate, striving to recover their strength as soon as possible.

As for Xuanyuan Jian, that martial arts fanatic, he had remained shut behind closed doors ever since arriving at the Martial Dao Alliance, presumably immersed in intense cultivation.

Most of the members of the Twelve Descendants had their homes in Yanjing, and since Xiao Yu and Ye Shihan had not seen each other for a long time, they naturally needed some private time to be together. The others did not disturb the young couple and each returned to their respective families, finally granting Xiao Yu a moment of peace.

In a guest room within the inner courtyard of the Martial Dao Alliance, Xiao Yu, completely naked, held Ye Shihan tightly as she snuggled against his chest. Judging from the lingering sweat covering their bodies, the two had just concluded a session of profound intimacy.

Ye Shihan stroked Xiao Yu's scar-covered chest. Perhaps recalling the news she had seen in reports earlier, two lines of clear tears suddenly streamed down her face.

Seemingly sensing that Ye Shihan was crying, Xiao Yu quickly cupped her chin with his hand, lifting her head up.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly crying out of nowhere?" Taken aback by her tears, Xiao Yu quickly reached out to wipe the moisture from her face.

"Xiao Yu, can you tell me the truth? What on earth have you been through all these years? Why are there so many scars on your body? Why did you go to the Sakura Country and do those things?" Ye Shihan asked, looking at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Sigh."

Hearing this, Xiao Yu let out a soft sigh. He knew he could never conceal what he had done in the Sakura Country. Moreover, from the moment he returned from there, he had prepared himself mentally to tell Ye Shihan everything that had happened to him over the past few years. He no longer wished to keep secrets.

Xiao Yu stroked Ye Shihan's soft black hair, his thoughts instantly flashing back to five years ago when he left the Ye family and entered the military. He then slowly began to recount to her the events of the past five years.

As Xiao Yu narrated, especially recounting the moments teetering on the brink of death, Ye Shihan listened with mounting tension in her heart.

Xiao Yu spoke for nearly two hours straight. Ye Shihan, as the sole listener, did not interrupt him even once during the entire duration. The more Xiao Yu spoke, the more thrilling it became, while Ye Shihan grew increasingly alarmed. She had never imagined that her man, just to win recognition from her family, had lived through days where death could claim him at any second all these years.

"Wife, you know what? Whenever I faced desperate situations, your image would always appear in my mind. It was because of you that I managed to turn danger into safety every single time. Because I knew you were still waiting for me to return, I couldn't afford to die."

Xiao Yu lit a cigarette, leaned against the head of the bed, and smoked in silence.

Hearing these words, Ye Shihan felt an overwhelming ache in her heart, mingled with deep self-reproach. Had it not been for her, Xiao Yu would never have entered the army, nor would he have so many times narrowly escaped death. And the only reason Xiao Yu had been so resolute was entirely to earn the approval of her and her family.

"Husband."

Ye Shihan parted her lips slightly and called out to Xiao Yu with profound affection. Hearing her call him husband, Xiao Yu was startled. Although they were legally husband and wife, shortly after their marriage, Xiao Yu had enlisted in the military. Five years passed, and when Xiao Yu resigned and returned home, Ye Shihan had been filled with resentment toward him. No matter what he did to help her family, she had never once sincerely called him husband. Today, hearing her address him with such deep emotion caught him momentarily off guard.

Seeing Xiao Yu turn his head back, Ye Shihan immediately reached out, cupped his cheeks in her hands, closed her eyes tightly, and pressed her lips directly against his.

Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Yu wrapped his arms around her, returning her kiss with passionate fervor. After a long while, their lips finally parted. Ye Shihan looked at him with a flushed face, then pulled the quilt up to cover them both completely.

In an instant, the entire room was filled with an ambiguous and tender warmth.